“I think it’s fabulous to see him step into the mentorship role,” he told PEOPLE. “Christian’s been in business for 10 years. I always tell everyone that 10 years in fashion is like 30 years in life, so he’s probably seen in 10 years what normal people might see in 30 years. That’s the reality of fashion.”

Christian opened up about the new gig on Instagram, writing, "Well everyone I’m back and with a twist, I’m the mentor! 10 years later I’m excited and honored to help guide the new generation of talent on [Project Runway] with major fashion players [Karlie, Nina, Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth]. We are back on Bravo and can’t wait to get started!"

While Karlie, Brandon Maxwell and Elaine Welteroth are all new to the series, Elle editor-in-chief Nina returns to the show as well.

When Season 17 premieres, the series will be back home on Bravo. "We are beyond excited to reboot Project Runway at the network where it all began. Leaning into the creative process in an entertaining way has always been part of Bravo's DNA, and Project Runway perfectly captures that," Frances Berwick, President Lifestyle Networks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, said in a statement earlier this year. "This franchise will be an important cornerstone to complement Bravo's original premium scripted and unscripted slate, and we expect it to drive the same level of fan-dom and passion as we experienced last time it was on Bravo."